Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Beauty in Tragedy

Today, we finished the third book in Lois Lowry's Giver series. For twelve years, The Giver has been my favorite. Today, however, The Messenger became my favorite. Today was proof for me that books are meant to be shared, discussed, and analyzed. I love reading alone, but there is no greater joy than a group of people coming together to witness true beauty through words. I was given the amazing opportunity to experience heartfelt emotion twice today with both of my classes. As I read the final chapters, tears came to my eyes and I had to suppress the urge to have a student finish reading aloud so that I could gather my emotion. I finished though, and was privy to a crowd of faces that caught the same connections I did. The students felt the same bittersweet feelings as their teacher as we realized our main character was willingly and tragically sacrificing himself for the world. He was a true HEALER! We had a brief class discussion afterwards but suggested they save their thoughts for the blog. Tonight's assignment is for them to respond with their thoughts. Below, I share the most poignant passages from today:

    With difficulty he leaned painfully toward her, so that his ear was near her mouth.
    "We need your gift," she whispered.
    Marty fell back in despair. He had followed Leader's instructions. He had not spent the gift. He had not made Ramon well, had not fixed Kira's crooked leg, or even tried to save his little dog. But it was too late now. His body was so damaged he could barely move. He could no longer bend his ravaged arms. How could he place his hands on anything? And what, in any case, did she want him to touch? So much was ruined.
    In agony and hopelessness, he turned away from her and rolled off the blanket and into the thick foul smelling mud. With his arms outstretched, his hands touching the earth, he lay there waiting to die. 
    He felt his fingers begin to vibrate...


    Gasping, Matty called for his gift to come. There was no sense of how to direct it. He simply clawed into the earth, feeling the power in his hands enter, pulsating into the ruined world. He became aware, suddenly, that he had been chosen for this....


    Kira smoothed his hair. "He called himself the fiercest of the fierce."
    Leader smiled. "He was that. But it was not his true name."
    Kira wiped her eyes. "He so hoped to receive his true name at the end of this journey."
    "He would have."
    "He wanted to be Messenger," Kira confided.
    Leader shook his head. "No. There have been other messengers and there will be more to come." He leaned down and placed his hand solemnly on Matty's forehead above the closed eyes. "Your true name is Healer," he said.



22 comments:

  1. Mrs.DuBose,I loved Messenger so much.It did end very sad, but I think it was a sweet story in all.Matty was so brave to die for everyone but himself.Son is starting out um...kind of....odd, but I want to read it.You have told us that it ties into all of the books, and I want all of the characters to meet.I hope Son is as good as I hear! ISABELLA T.

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  2. I loved Giver so much but when the end cut off I thought will I ever see Johans again.
    It was a surprise for Matty to mature so fast
    but now I can only wonder where is frollic the dog is but it also bothers me that trade master
    still has his book and what will leader do about
    it....
    William lindsey

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  3. I loved all of the books even though they all kind of ended sadly. I feel sad for Matty for because he scraficed himself for the whole world. I wonder if Kira will regret not letting Matty fix her leg. I wonder if we will see Frollic grown up or not. Leif Orth

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  4. I loved all the books. But I hope son is as good as
    all the other books messenger is my favorite book. I wanted matty to fix Kira's leg
    and stay alive maybe someone will heal him in son.And bring him back to LIFE
    Survaria Moore

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  5. Hello MRS.Dubose I really liked all of the books that you have read. I can't wait to find out how Giver and Messenger combie. I am ready for the rising action of SON.

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  6. In class the other day, Jada said that she did not like the way Messenger ended and she thought it was too sad, and she is right . But I think that Lois Lowry purposely wanted her readers to feel that way and she wanted us to realize that Maddy died a beautiful death.I thought about what you said, that this book relates to Christ and what he did for us, and you were right. Maddy died for his people.Sun is starting out very odd. I hope you're sure there is no more of that, but even if there is I think I'm mature enough to read on. (Erin) PS:I loved your blog Isabella!

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  7. In class, Jada said that Messenger ended horribly, it was too sad, and she's right. But I think Lois Lowry wanted her readers to feel that way and she wanted us to realize that Maddy died a beautiful death. To me, the ending of every story is the best, they are always very beautiful and it shows that writers are truly AMAZING! You're right about how this book relates to Christ and what he did for us. Maddy did the bravest thing anyone could ever do! Sun is starting out very odd, but I think I'm mature enough to read on.(Erin) PS:I loved your blog Isabella!

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    1. Erin, Thanks!I love your blog too.It (well,they, because you have two) is so well written.Jada is right, Messenger did end sad, but it was a beautiful sadness.From *ISABELLA*P.s-Jada said in class that when she is famous, she will make a Messenger movie.I cannot wait to see it, Jada!I hope you really get to make the movie, and if you do, I will be first in line for it!!!!!

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    2. thanks erin hahahaha!!!:) (JADA IVY #9)

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    3. I will be second in line for it, Jada....right behind Isabella!

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    4. THANKS ya'll you 2 are the awsomest friend and teacher ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(JADA IVY # 9)

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  8. Isabella,
    You posted two comments but I went ahead and published both because they were so beautifully written. You are an AMAZING thinker! I love how deeply connected you become to these characters and their stories. What a success you will be!

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  9. I LOVEEE the books we have read this past year, you have made an EXTELLENT pick! I wish Son wouldn't have stared out with such a biziar beging.
    Looking Back: Beatiful, funny, infomational, and more.
    # the star: Is AMAZING!!!!
    Giver_Messanger: soo good. All have a BEATIFUL ending (just like Erin said)
    Son: Is GREAT so far1 But as I, said "wish it wouldn't have stared out with a biziar brgining!!
    CY K. R.

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  10. i love very single book you readus i hated that matty died but like Erin said"he died a lovely death". Even know it was very sad i think matty will come back to life and maybe gabb will bring him back to life you never know i think The Messager was the best out of all of them and i cant wait to read Son i bet it will be better then Messager and that will be hard to beat!!

    Kamryn Ezell : )

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  11. This book was great. It is very sad when Matty dies in the end but it was also beautiful. He had to be really strong to give himself up for the world, but he probably new that that was the best thing to do. Now that we are starting Son, things in the Giver are all starting to add up. That's a good thing because I want to know every thing about this book series. I hope we get to finnish it. I can't wait to read more! (Lauren)

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  12. I loved Messenger and The Giver.So far The Giver is my favorite.In Messenger there was a sad and happy ending when Matty dies a beautiful death,that took courage to do what he did.I mean he gave up his soul for village.Also now we are reading SON!! It starts out kinda weird but so far I love it.(BRIANA.M)

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  13. Mrs. DuBose,
    I wish that we had the time to read son, every day in class. So far Son is a GREAT book. I hope (think/know) it gets just more intresting!
    I think that if you put all of our comments together, I bet you could make a short summary! (full of pridictions and oppions)

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  14. i loved all the books, gather blue, the giver, and messenger. yet to me, they were kinda weird, in gathering blue because kira and thomas had some sort of power like talents. in the giver its not really weird because jonas doesnt have 'powers', but he can get feelings and other things that the people in the commnity do not have. in messenger leader names everybody and now mattie has powers too. but now that i understand it a little more it makes since a bit more. now in son it is all coming together, and by it's i mean all the characters in all the books are coming together. i cant wait to see what happens at the end of son.
    kenzie davidson :)

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  15. Hey Mrs.DouBouse! I LOVED The Messenger, The Giver, and Gathering Blue and i'm LOVEING Son so far im ready to see what happens with Gabe, and Clair and i'm SOOO ready to see what the quote on you're comuter's home screen means. I was SOOOOOOOO sad to see Mattie die in the end of Messenger I WANTED TO CRY SOOOOOOOO BAD!!!:(, but he died for a VERY VERY good cause. He died for the village, The world and to save all of his loved ones lives I have NO IDEA how proud Kira, Johnas ,Jean, and The seeer are of the marks he left on their lives. I'm thimking that in the son HOPEFULLY Gabe will bring Mattie back to life, and if he does... either Kira,OR Jean will marry Mattie (HOPEFULY)...or if Gabe does revive him Gabe will MARRY Kira, and Mattie will MARRY Jean, THAT NOW WOULD BE AWSOME AND AMAZEING AT THE SAME TIME. MAYBE if Kwaylon will let us borrow his GONE book you could read it to us as a goodbye gift for us leaveing the 5th grade, if YOU would be willing to read it to us. Friday when Kwaylon came to show you he had gotten it, once I saw how big it was mmm mmm mmm I KNEW I WOULD NOT BE READING THAT FOR A BOOKCLUB ALONE!!!!!it would at least take me 2 nine weeks to finish it all. THANKYOU for reading us the WONDERFULL stories that you read us troughout the year. (JADA IVY #9)

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  16. Hey Mrs. DouBouse! I LOVED the way Number The Stars ended it was such an AMAZING story and educational at the same time it was a GREAT way to tye up our...pretty much Nazie section of history and I'M SOO HAPPY that I got to finish it with all my friends in Mrs. Hollands class!!!!! LOVE YA'LL!!! love (JADA IVY #9):-)

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  17. Hey Mrs.DouBose! i'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SAD THAT YOU'RE LEAVEING AND MOVEING TO TEXAS!!!!! even though I wouldn't be at MCE next year I still wouldn't see you at the football games I wish that you could stay here FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and thank you for being for being the best language arts EXT. TEACHER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(JADA IVY # 9)

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  18. I am going to atempt to make my own book now, inspired by Son ,with all of the memories coming back to Water Claire, and Walk Two Moons, with all of the memories coming back to Salamanca Tree Hiddle!I always have random memories come back to me whenever I am doing something, most memories make me happy, others have taught me life lessons.I will always remember the awesome year in 5th grade with Mrs.Dubose and Mrs.Holland,the best teachers ever!p.s I can't
    wait to read Son!
    [Hope Rainey]

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